Squirm

Just as snakes appear frequently in the pages of Squirm, so do drones. These tiny machines symbolize nimble escape and freedom from the rules that govern ordinary aircraft. They can slip in anywhere. As such, they illustrate the creative ways in which the protagonists arrange to transcend The Limits of the Law. This pattern becomes apparent early in the novel, for Dennis frequently uses drones to gain surveillance information that allows him to intervene in poaching activities that the authorities do not take action to stop. As previously mentioned, the law can only act to apprehend poachers after they have killed an animal. By contrast, Dennis is focused on preventing such crimes before they occur. He initially uses his drone to scare away the grizzly family during Baxter’s first attempt to kill the mother bear, and he intends to do the same during the panther hunt in Florida, but his drone falls into a pond and short-circuits.

Later, during the climactic scene in the Montana wilderness, another drone will prove crucial in saving a life. In this instance, the authorities are out of range to be summoned in time to save Dennis from Baxter’s machinations. (This is less a question of the law refusing to act than the fact that it is simply beyond reach.) When Dennis is staked out as the grizzly’s next meal, Billy takes over control of his father’s drone, flying it to Dennis and dropping a knife on the ground so that Dennis can cut himself free. Before the grizzlies can attack Dennis, Billy then sends the drone to distract the mother bear. It confuses her long enough for his father to finish freeing himself. The drone is ultimately destroyed by the bear, but it buys the necessary time to allow Dennis to escape the predator. Thus, in all sections of the novel, the drone comes to symbolize the ability of people to take decisive, individual action to do the right thing and prevent inexcusable crimes and cruelties from occurring.